News

  • Legislative Update March 2021

    Thousands of The Senior Citizens League's supporters – including the 800 petition signers – have told us they are failing to keep up with rising costs, and they are forced every day to make tough decisions about how they will spend their Social Security checks. To address this growing issue, The Senior Citizens League and its supporters urge Congress to adopt the Social Security Expansion Act (S. 427) before the end of the 115th Congress. .Last fall, the Government Accountability Office uncovered .3 billion in improper payments from December 2010 to January 2013 made to people who had jobs when they were supposed to be unable to work. To be eligible for Social Security disability, beneficiaries must be unable to work due to a medical condition that's expected to last at least one year, or result in death. The list, however, includes murky afflictions like back pain, depression and other un-measurable afflictions, opening the system to fraud and abuse. .(Washington, DC) – A new survey seeking to learn the financial impact of the coronavirus on older Americans indicates that almost half of retirees say they have gone without essential items. According to the survey by The Senior Citizens League (TSCL), 48 percent of survey respondents report they have gone without food, prescription drugs, face masks, and disinfecting cleaning products during the coronavirus pandemic. "Our survey suggests that almost half of the nation's retirees may not have the resources needed to cope with COVID-19," says Mary Johnson, a Social Security and Medicare policy analyst for The Senior Citizens League. … Continued

  • Issues Prevention Of Fraud Waste Track Bills

    The Social Security 2100 Act (H.R. 1391), introduced by Representative John Larson (CT-1). Like the FAIR Social Security Act, this bill would base COLAs on the CPI-E. It would also provide a 2 percent benefit bump for the average beneficiary and create a new minimum benefit set at 25 percent above the poverty line. In addition, more than 11 million seniors would see a significant tax cut, since the bill would double the income threshold for the taxation of benefits from ,000 per individual to ,000, and from ,000 per couple to 0,000. ."The question becomes how we can strengthen the retirement security of today's retirees, while strengthening funding for both Medicare and Social Security at the same time," Johnson says. .Prior to 1984, Social Security benefits were excluded from taxation. Today, from 50 to 85 percent of Social Security income can be subject to taxation depending on two income thresholds. For taxpayers with incomes between ,000 and ,000 (individual) or ,000 and ,000 (filing jointly), up to 50 percent of Social Security benefits may be taxable. For individuals with incomes above ,000 or couples filing jointly with incomes above ,000, up to 85 percent of benefits may be taxable. … Continued

This week, Rep. Paul Ryan (WI-1), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, revealed that Congress will not consider legislation that would permanently repeal and replace the SGR – the flawed formula that sets payment rates for doctors who treat Medicare patients – before the March 31st deadline. Instead, they will likely pass another short-term "doc fix" in order to avert a 21 percent pay cut for physicians that is set to hit on April 1st. .Under both measures, the poverty rate increases with age, and was higher for people in relatively poor health. .The recommendation of MedPAC would combine the deductibles for Part A and Part B services. Currently the deductibles are charged separately and for good cause. About 80 percent of Medicare beneficiaries never pay a Part A deductible because they don't require hospitalization in most years. The Part A deductible for hospital inpatient services is ,156, a cost that is covered in full today by all Medigap supplements. Some Medigap supplements also cover all of the Part B deductible, which is 0 in 201Costs differ for seniors enrolled in Medicare Advantage depending on the plan. Co-payments would also change and vary by the type of service and provider. .A person with average Social Security benefits in 2000 received 6 per month, a figure that rose to ,166.30 by 201However, that individual would require a Social Security benefit of ,419.00 per month in 2015 just to maintain his or her 2000 buying power, the study found. .Background Information: Social Security beneficiaries received another record-low cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of just 0.3% this year. But if the COLA were based on a more accurate measure of inflation for seniors like the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E), they would be receiving an increase of 2.1% according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Question: Do you support legislation that would give older Americans a more fair and adequate Social Security COLA? .Proponents say that the change is needed because the CPI is inaccurate and doesn't reflect the effect on inflation when consumers substitute different types of lower-costing goods and services as prices increase. They argue that the government overpays Social Security beneficiaries because the current index is inaccurate and overstates inflation. .Some 48 percent of participants in The Senior Citizens League latest survey, reported that they expect to pay income taxes on a portion of their Social Security benefits for the 2020 tax year. That's down from 53 percent who reported paying income taxes on their Social Security benefits for the 2019 tax year. But that wasn't the only change. Far fewer retirees also indicated that they would not pay tax on their Social Security benefits — 32 percent for 2020 tax year versus 41 percent for the 2019 tax year. .Look into mail-order pharmacies. When ordering by mail you save money because you order in quantity – a 90-day versus a 30-day supply. Many mail order pharmacies charge lower co-pays for a 90-day supply than what you pay for a 60-day. Check with your drug plan to find out if mail order is available. .The following article is from "Kaiser Health News":